


The Symbolism of Peanut Butter Sandwiches

by ChicagoTeddy



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Mention of Disability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:17:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChicagoTeddy/pseuds/ChicagoTeddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann takes a sick day and Newt tries to comfort him with a sandwich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Symbolism of Peanut Butter Sandwiches

**Author's Note:**

> I asked for a prompt from friends and all I was given was "Peanut Butter Sandwich" so here we are.

Hermann had never been a particularly healthy person, and as a result of his poor immune system he often fell ill. Most days he could push through, after all he normally had to push through his chronic pain, but today didn't appear to be one of those days. He felt so wretched that there was simply no chance of him being able to muster the necessary energy he already had to expend with his disability just to get up in the morning.

He emailed the Marshall a notice from his phone explaining his predicament, with the assurance he'd be well enough to work once more the next day. Then he fell into a fitful sleep.

A knocking on his door awoke him suddenly, and the sad thing was he recognized the knock. "Yes?" He croaked, hoping his colleague would just leave.

"Hermann please let me in"

"Goodness Newton why? I'm ill, I'm taking a day off." Hermann snapped back in irritation.

"Yeah I know just open the door."

Hermann grumbled and snatched his cane, forcing himself up, anger pulsing through him at the inconsiderate biologist. His body ached and his stomach flipped a bit but he wrenched the door to his quarters open. 

"Newton I find it incredibly rude that-" He stopped as he actually looked at the man before him. 

Newt looked concerned, but forced a crooked smile. "Hey dude...Im sorry Im bugging you but I got you some stuff" He held up a bag. "I wasn't sure what kind of sick so i got a few different things-"

"Newton what on earth are you doing?" Hermann felt his anger flare again but this time it was tinged with shame. 

"I heard you were sick so-"

"I don't need your help Newton. Im not a pity case."

Newt was stunned to temporary silence. He blinked and shook his head frantically "Hermann its not like that..." 

"Please leave. Im certain I'll recover far better without you around to pester me."

Newt looked hurt, and for a moment Hermann felt a pang of guilt.

He then held out the bag. "Ok. But just will you take this please?" 

Hermann took it and Newt backed up then headed off. Hermann shut the door with a weary sigh. He sat back down on his bed, wincing, and looked in the bag. 

Inside there were various medications that Newt must have pilfered from the sickbay, as well as a tupperware and a sandwich bag. The tupperware contained chicken noodle soup, presumably from the cafeteria since Newt certainly didn't know how to cook. He opened the baggy curiously as the sandwich seemed to have been made personally by Newt.

Upon inspection it revealed itself to be a simple peanut butter and jelly. He smiled to himself as the sweet and nostalgic smell wafted up to him. Jellies and jams were expensive and rare these past few years. He wondered where Newt had bought it. Judging by the label somewhere in Hong Kong. 

He had felt nauseous before but now his stomach rumbled. He took a tentative bite. The taste took him back to his childhood. To those days when he had stayed home from school because his leg hurt too much and his mother would let him watch cartoons when his father wasn't home to call him childish. To the times when he would sit behind the bleachers in the gym to eat his lunch, hidden from the world but safe with his lunch packed by his mother with love. He smiled as he slowly ate the sandwich, eyes welling with tears for reasons he couldn't fully understand.

He finished the sandwich and got up stiffly to fetch water. He wondered if Newton had similar fond memories of childhood sandwich eating. Instantly guilt flooded him again.

Hermann's mother had died several years ago, but she had loved and cared for him throughout his childhood. Newt, Hermann recalled, hadn't had the same luxury. His mother had left him and his father when he was very young. Had Newt's father made him sandwiches? Hermann couldn't imagine Lars Gottlieb making peanut butter sandwiches, but he knew that Newt had a far better relationship with his father.

He laid back down in bed and pulled out his phone. He had gotten a missed call and four texts while he had been sleeping, all from Newt. 

8:15 am: 'Hey are u ok?'  
9:32 am: 'Tendo said ur sick wats up?'  
10:16 am: 'Im gonna get u some stuff k'  
10:43 am: 'let me in'

Hermann groaned loudly, staring up at the ceiling. His chest felt hollow and sore, but it wasn't from his cold. He picked up his phone again and texted Newt.

'I apologize for my behavior. Thank you for the care package.' He paused, then added 'The sandwich was quite good.'

Newt was already typing back 'sorry I upset u man I didnt mean to imply anything I was just worried'

'I overreacted.' Hermann replied, then paused for a moment. 'I'm curious. Why a peanut butter sandwich?'

'When i was a kid and I had a bad day my dad would make them for me and tell me "Nootnoot, peanut butter is the glue that holds our hearts together, and the jelly is the love that fills them." And then I would say "but dad whats the bread?" And he'd be like "the breads how you get it in your mouth son" lol'

Hermann laughed aloud in the dark of his room. He felt himself smiling stupidly and blushed self-consciously despite it being perfectly obvious there was no one to see him.

'That was an amusing anecdote. I suppose peanut butter sandwiches hold nostalgia for a lot of people.'

'Yeah probably'

'I believe your sandwich may have worked, I feel quite the lot better.'

'Well it should dude it was made with love'

Hermann flushed again and rested his phone on his chest. He hated when Newton used these little phrases because whether he liked it or not they always made his heart flutter in a ridiculous fashion. Why did he always have to make fun of him?

'Of course it was. Anyway, thank you Newton. I shall see you in the lab tomorrow.'

'If you need anything tell me ok?'

'Very well.'

'.....<3'

He shoved his phone onto his bedside table, not dignifying a silly sideways heart with further response. But as he drifted back off to sleep, he thought of peanut butter sandwiches. He thought of Newton. He thought of love.


End file.
